


Day Two Hundred Forty-Three || Damaged

by 365daysofsasuhina



Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [243]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen, Homelessness, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 11:07:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20487881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365daysofsasuhina/pseuds/365daysofsasuhina
Summary: “...we’re all a little damaged,” she replies softly. “And I think...yours meshes okay with mine. You can stay.”





	Day Two Hundred Forty-Three || Damaged

_Nobody likes damaged goods._

Hood of his sweatshirt drawn up over his face, Sasuke raps knuckles against the door before him. It’s late, lightly raining, and his typical plan has fallen through. Hence: the backup.

A light flicks on, and the sounds of a deadbolt are heard before the door opens. Beyond, rubbing tiredly at his face, is Naruto. “...Sasuke?”

“Hey.”

“Dude, it’s like…” He glances back. “...one in the morning. What’re you doing here?”

“Look, uh…” The Uchiha scratches at the back of his neck. “I can’t really explain, but...some shit went down, and...I could use a couch to crash on. If that’s okay.”

Immediately, the blond’s face slackens in surprise. “Oh, shit...uh...yeah, sure. Come on in.” Ushering his friend inside, Naruto thinks for a moment. “My goddad’s daughter is away at college, so you can crash in her room if you -?”

“No, a couch is fine. It’s...just for the night.”

“Dude, it’s a bed. All I gotta do is swap the sheets and -”

“Leave it. I just need to crash for a few hours. It’s no big deal.”

Brows furrow over blues as Naruto studies his friend...who in turn takes every opportunity to avoid his eyes. “...y’know, you can quit lying to me any time.”

“What do you mean ly-?”

“C’mon man,” Naruto sighs. “I’m not as stupid as you think I am. I know you’re out on your own. And I know those punks you’ve been hanging out with are -”

“Don’t call them that,” Sasuke cuts in with a growl.

“They’re no good for you, dude! I know the shit they get up to, and you’re not gonna -”

“Butt out,” Sasuke warns one last time. “Are you gonna let me crash on your couch, or what? Otherwise, I’m better off out in the rain than listening to your preachy ass. I’m _fine_.”

“You’re obviously not fine, dude! I’m worried about you!”

“I didn’t ask you to be!”

“Well too fuckin’ bad, cuz you’re my friend!”

“Well you can’t -”

“Oi, oi...what’s all the racket…?”

Both boys turn as another light flickers on, none other than Jiraiya scratching at his scalp with a yawn as he stands at the base of the stairs. The literature teacher makes a face. “Naruto, how many times I gotta tell ya not to use language like that in this house?”

“You write porn on the side while you teach teenagers about Edgar Allan Poe and Jane Austen,” Naruto retorts with a deadpan look. “I think that gives me some leeway with my language, huh?”

Jiraiya rolls his eyes. “Well...guess there’s worse things you could do. But d’you mind explaining why you two are up yelling at the wee hours of the morning?”

Scowling, Sasuke stuffs hands into his pockets and heads toward the door. “...never mind. This is a mess...I’m out.”

“Sasuke, wait -!”

Slamming the door and cutting the other pair off, Sasuke squares his shoulders and starts walking. Tch...like Naruto can even begin to understand. He’s been adopted since he was an infant, taken in by his godfather and hardly spending any time alone. Sasuke lost his parents at seven in a break-in gone wrong while he and his brother were off visiting their cousin. For a while they stayed at their aunt’s...until she was killed in the line of duty as a cop when Sasuke was twelve.

From there...the hard times really started.

He and his brother were separated in the foster system. Itachi tried to gain custody at eighteen, only to be denied...so he’s currently enrolled in college trying to better his odds at finally being able to take Sasuke in. Of course...by that time, he’ll nearly be an adult anyway. And now, at sixteen...he’s finally decided to run away fully. He’s lived in over a dozen different places in these past four years, and he’s reached a breaking point. His behavior has deteriorated with the depths of his frustration and pent-up anger. No one wants him around. So he’s decided to try couch hopping until Itachi graduates next year. He’s sure he can do it. Naruto was his most recent stop, but...something about going there feels wrong.

...maybe it’s the jealousy.

But either way, he won’t go back now. He doesn’t need Naruto looking at him like that. Like he’s some kicked puppy that the blond is going to adopt and spoil. He doesn’t need that kind of treatment...he can do this on his own. And his judgmental attitude about his friends pisses him off. Karin, Suigetsu, Jūgo...they’re in just as tight of spots as Sasuke. They do what they have to in order to get by.

Naruto just...doesn’t understand.

He’ll never understand…

Besides, being in this neighborhood sucks. He used to live on this street before everything went to hell in a handbasket. Last he checked, the house is empty...again. No one ever lives in it long. He likes to tell himself it’s haunted...and that no one can stand it. Call him bitter, but he’s glad no one else gets to call his house home.

They never should have had to leave…

Skulking in his thoughts...he almost misses it. In fact...he’s not sure what makes him look over. But Sasuke’s eyes get drawn to a house as he passes by, happening to notice that there’s...someone on the roof…?

That alone gets him to stop in his tracks. It’s dark, even more so with the cloud cover, but...he can just barely make out a silhouette along the spine of the rooftop. Staring, he can’t make out who it is from here, so...deciding he has nothing better to do, he walks across the lawn to get closer.

There’s a ladder propped up along the side of the house - it’s a split level: some roof one story tall, the rest two stories. This person - whoever they are - is sitting along the section over the front door, straddling the topmost point.

Looking it over...he then realizes what house this is. It’s been so long...but this is the Hyūga household. Two girls live here, from what he can remember. This must be one of them...the older. Hinata, was it?

“...hey.”

...no response.

Sighing, he eyes the ladder, and risks taking a few rungs up. It’s a bit slick with rain, but he’s used to climbing things he shouldn’t. “Oi…!”

For a moment, she stiffens, and he’s almost afraid she’ll fall. But her posture remains mostly balanced, looking to him in obvious fright. “W...what are you doing?!”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

“You’re on p-private property, and -!”

“And you’re sitting on a roof at one am in the rain,” he cuts in, tone flat. “No offense, but that’s not really something _normal_ people do.”

As a matter of fact...it sounds like something _he_ would do, if he had a roof to monkey about on.

“It...it’s none of your business. Who _are_ you?”

“Sasuke. I’m in your class. Hinata, right?”

“...Sasuke…?”

Remembering he has his hood on, he tosses his head to throw it back. “Sup?”

“W...what are you doing out here?”

“Can’t sleep,” he easily fibs. “What are _you_ doing out here?”

“...I can’t sleep either.”

“So this is your alternative? Not bingeing Netflix or something?”

“...I like the rain. And I like s-sitting on the roof.”

“Little dangerous, isn’t it? It’d be easy to fall.”

For a time, she’s quiet...then she mumbles something.

“Huh?”

“I said...it wouldn’t matter if I - i-if I did.”

He sighs. “Little dramatic, isn’t it?”

“We’re teenagers. We’re supposed to be dramatic.”

We, huh? “Yeah, well...you should come down.”

“Why?”

“Cuz it’s making me nervous, all right? Just...get off the roof, huh?”

For a moment she seems to pout at him...but then swings a leg over, scooting her way back to the ladder. He holds it for good measure, not letting go until both her feet are on the ground. “...happy?”

“Happy is a relative term. Overall? No. In this instance? Yeah.”

Hinata’s head tilts. “...what are you _really_ doing out here, Sasuke…?”

“Running away from home. Except it’s not home, so just...running away.”

She seems to weigh if he’s messing with her or not. “...do you...have some place to go?”

“Working on it.”

“Do you want to come in?”

“Not sure any parent in their right mind with a teenage daughter would be thrilled to have a teenage boy in the house at night.”

“My dad’s not home, he’s away on business. It’s just me and my sister.”

...that rings a bell. Her mom died when she was even younger than his own loss. He’d just been too young to understand until...well, Life _made_ him understand. “...sure it’s not weird?”

“I don’t mind. Better than you being o-out here soaking wet, right? Come on...you can take a warm shower, and I’ll put your c-clothes in the dryer.”

...under any other circumstances, he’d find all of this extremely weird. But Sasuke’s life hasn’t exactly been normal as of late, so...he shrugs, and follows her inside.

“Just toss them out the door and I’ll dry them, and put them back. We’ve got a guest room you can use.”

“A couch is -”

“Hardly comfortable. You’re going in the guest room.”

...okay, _that_ part was weird. Hinata the wallflower, being assertive? “...all right, fine.”

His shower, admittedly, runs a little long. Not about to take one for granted given he doesn’t know when his next one will happen, he takes his time before peeking through the door. As promised, his clothes are folded just beyond it, snatched and reapplied. He finds Hinata in the kitchen, wordlessly handing him a cup of hot tea. “...what is up with you?”

“Hm?”

“You’re acting weird.”

Sipping her own and staring at him for a long moment, she retorts, “...I didn’t think you k-knew me well enough to know what’s weird for me to do.”

...well, she has a point.

“You’re usually so shy, and...modest. Now you’re letting a homeless good-for-nothing into your house, when there’s no adults around, ordering me around and making me tea? That seems weird.”

“...you needed help. And you’re Naruto’s friend, so…” Shoulders softly shrug. “...I hear bits and pieces. A-about what you’re going through. I’m...surprised you’re not at Naruto’s, honestly.”

“I went there first. Didn’t work.”

“...I see.” Considering her cup, she murmurs, “...Dad will be home in two days. You can stay until then. Hanabi won’t care, but she might p-pester you.”

“...that’s fine. I can handle pestering. You’re sure this is okay?”

Pale eyes flicker back and forth across his face, as if...looking for something.

“...I’m not exactly a stand-up kind of kid. Just want you to bear that in mind.”

The corner of her mouth twitches. “...we’re all a little damaged,” she replies softly. “And I think...yours meshes okay with mine. You can stay.”

Meshes with…? What is she talking about? Before he can ask, she gestures for him to follow, leading him to an empty bedroom.

“The sheets are clean, and there’s spare toothbrushes in the bathroom, in the cabinet on the left. It’s late, so...I’ll let you sleep in. If you get hungry, you can raid the fridge. My room’s upstairs, on the right. Knock if you need anything.”

“...uh, right. Thanks.” Watching her go, Sasuke then looks over the spare room. It looks like one of those mock-up rooms you see in magazines. It’s about the last place he can picture himself being, but...apparently this is his lot for the next two days.

...weird.

He sheepishly finds a snack, scarfing down a few handfuls of chips before doing as invited and brushing his teeth. It all feels so...strange. It’s definitely not what he was expecting...but then again, kindness tends to show up where you least expect it. And Hinata Hyūga was _not_ the first person he was about to ask. Hell, she wasn’t even on his list. They never talk - he only knows her because Naruto hangs out with her sometimes. Apparently they even dated for a short while before calling it quits. Is that why…? She did mention his knowing the blond...but it seems to go beyond that.

Yours meshes okay with mine...what was that supposed to mean? Is she talking about...losing parents? True, she’s about the only other person he knows with a dead parent. But she still has her dad, right…?

...but he also knows sometimes a parent can be just as absent alive as dead. Away on business, huh…?

...right.

Removing his shoes, he slips into bed, staring at yet another unfamiliar ceiling. But at least this one doesn’t make his belly ache and his mind race. It’s actually...really nice. It’s only for two days, but...well, he’ll just make the most of it.

...he’ll have to thank her properly in the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> This is...not exactly how I pictured it going when I started, but my muse has been a lil wonky as of late, and I'm still recuperating after the double month ^^; So hopefully it's not too weird.
> 
> Hinata might seem a little...strange in this one, but that's because she has her own share of trauma in this particular iteration I didn't want to delve into too much, mostly to justify Sasuke's confusion. He doesn't know what's up with her either. But losing one parent, and being so unable to depend on the other, isn't exactly easy. She knows her experience is different from (and not as heavy as) Sasuke's, but...there's still aspects she understands.
> 
> There might be more reasons she was up on that roof...
> 
> Buuut anyway, this is technically yesterday's prompt, and...I need to do today's. Er...the first's. It's late so...blegh. I'ma try to get that done, and finally be caught up now that SHM is over, so...let's see if I can do it! If not today, well...maybe tomorrow, lol - but either way, thanks for reading!


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